Treatment of surfaces under water



Nov. 3 1925.

A. MAUTERER TREATMENT 0F sURFACEs UNDER WATER Filed Nov. 11. 1924Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

ARTHUR VIAUTEBER, .OF DORTMUND, GERMANY.

TREATMENT 0F SURFACES UN DER WATER.

Application filed November 11, 1924.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR MAUTnnnn, chief engineer, residing` at 25Beurhausstrasse, Dortmund, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements Itelating to the Treatment of Surfaces Under YVater, ofwhich the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to a process and to devices for projecting liquidand solid substances against :walls by means of streams of compressedair. It is well known to provide objects of all kinds with a coating bymeans of streams of compressed air, for example with a coating of paintor metal (metal squirting process). It is also known to coat walls withbuilding materials such as mortar, concrete and the like. Further it isalso known to spray objects to be cleaned with sharp edged, finelygranulated solid substances by means of compressed air for the purposeof cleaning them (sand blast and the like). Y

These known spraying processes however could hitherto only be carriedout in air. It is frequently necessary to carry out similar operationsunder water. For this purpose the usual processes and devices are un-rsuitable. The present inventionmakes it possible'to use sprayingprocesses, either for spraying building materials such as concrete, orfor spraying protective coatings of paint or metal or the like, or forspraying sand' or other cleaning materials, without the spraying actionbeing affected by the action of the water surrounding the sprayingdevice and the surface to be treated. In order to prevent the disturbingaction of the water, a casing is formed of compressed air which enclosesthe spraying stream and removes the water in the space surrounding it insuch a manner that even at a great depth below the surface of the watersubstantially the same conditions of working can be provided for as whenthe same operation is carried out in air.

Further features of the invention will be set forth in the followingdetailed description with reference to thel accompanying drawingswherein three different forms of construction of spraying devices areshown diagrammatically, these devices being particularly applicable forspraying building materials (concrete) on wall surfaces.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of one embodiment of the invention.

Serial No. 749,354.

Figures 2 and 8 are similar views showing other embodiments.

In all of the figures a indicates the actual spraying nozzle which issupplied with a material such as concrete, to be sprayed in the knownmanner by means of piping by 'nsL the spray which is leaving the frontend of the nozzle a and immediately reduce the speed of flowconsiderably and. also act upon the material which is being sprayed, forexample completely destroying the concrete.

According to the arrangement shown 1n Figure l the front part of thenozzle is surrounded by a bell b provided with a hollow annular space cwhich is open at the front edge of the bell. The space c` is connectedby a tubular extension d to a pipe not shown through which compressedair or other liquid under pressure can be supplied thereto.

When the device is in operation the compressed air supplied at l willact as a truncated conical stream against the surface m (as indicated inthe drawings by dotted lines) and forms around the nozzle a ain' annularcurtain or screen, which retains the space within the same' free fromwater.

This action can be accelerated in that when the operation with thenozzle a is first started only compressed air is supplied to thisnozzle. During further operation the line annular vstream of compressedair ejected from c will suiiice completely to prevent the disturbingaction of the water on the stream of material ejected by the nozzle n.The concrete mass or other material sprayed from the nozzle a will bedeposited on the surface m in the same manner as when the operation iseffected in air.

Instead of forming the hollow space c at considerable distances from thenozzle as illustrated, it may be arranged close thereto in such a mannerthat the strearnof compressed air closely surrounds the stream ofmaterial to be sprayed. It is also not always necessary for the frontedge of the bell b to project a considerable distance beyond the frontedge of the nozzle a.

In the arrangement shown in Figure l a stream of compressed air is shown,of which the diameter is reduced towards the wall surface, `but in theconstruction shown in Figure 2 a stream is provided which is enlarged indiameter inthe form oi' a bell. The annular hollow space c is in thiscase formed between van inner bell 'b' yand an outerbell or casing c.The supply oi' coinpressed air is effected through the tubular extensional". For the Ipurpose of adjusting `the outle area :from the hollowspace c the casing e 'fis movable on the screw threaded neck of the belll/ .and can be secured in position by means oi a. locknut 7c. l l ysurfaces to be coveredatni".

The hollow space between the nozzle a. and-the .bell fb, in ,thearrangement shown in 4Figure 2, lis connected by means of passages" fwith a hollow space g formed by z a cap nut i, to which a supply pipe isconnected. According to the conditions of working compressed air forexample may bek supplied in order to render the space betweenthe nozzleand the bell Z9 free from `water more quickly. By connecting` lthe pipez' to a pump it is also possible to form a vacuum inside the bell.Through the pipe e' and passages it is also ,possible toV upply' solid,liquid or gaseous substances which co-operate with .the stream ejectedfrom the nozzle a, .for example for accelerating the setting, hardening,,adhesioinor drying lof the 7mass applied to ,the wall surfacem. v

The arrangement shown in Figure 3 has substantiallythe saine parts astlie arrangcl ment shown in Figure 2, including the nozzleaeand the bellcomposed Vof theinner andlouter icasings vZJT-ez spaced apart to formthe annular',chamber c2. Compressed air is supplied to this space froman annular chamber ,tr/1, y,formed within the cap nut lil, bynieans ot'passages f1. The annular chamber gl has a pipe l for connecition with asourcekot supply, andthe sur- 'faces tobe coated is vindicatedat m2. Theenlargement of the annular stream of conipressedair ejected fromv thespace c2 Iis not so rapid as in Figure 2. The passages f are arranged invarious inclined directions so that thecompressed air s uppliedthroughthe pipe c" can more efectivelylteep the interiorof the bell .free fromwater.

The invention is not limited to the `par- `The nozzle is shown at a landthe,

ticular examples of construction `hereinbefore described andillustrated. Anyone skilled in the art can in View of the aboveconstruction make Vthe necessary modifications according to the purposein View withoutdeparting vfrom the scope of the invention. For example,the nozzle may be so constructed that the mass ejected therefrom is notsprayed as a closed stream but reaches the wall in a sprayed ordistributed Jforni. It is also possible to supply through the compressedair pipes other vwhich for exan'iple exert a inoreetfective action onthc stream otmaterial from the nozzle.

l. The method of retaining .under water surfaces tree from waterduringthe treatncnt thereof with a spray, whichconsists in encirclingthe spray lwith an annular shield. or curtain of gas under pressuremovable laterally with the spray Vand impinging the surface around theimpingement of the spray.

2. The method of retaining under water surfaces free from water duringthe ti.'eatment thereof with a spray, which consists in encircling thespray with an annular shield or eurtainvofgas underpressure movfable'laterally with the spray and iinpinging the surface around theimpingement ofthe spray, and driving out thev water within the curtainor screen.

3. A device of the class described, including a spraying nozzle, meansfor encircling the nozzle with an annular screen or ,curtain of gasunder pressure, ,including a substantially Ibell l,shaped .member itsopen end beyond ythe same, the wall oic vsaid member chambered, andhaving an annular outlet at ythe free edge of the ;bell,

Aand means toconnect the chamber with a source of under pressure, a.second chamber in connection with the bell delivering .within the same`by a plurality or" outlets,

and means for connecting said chamber ,to

the source. l

4;. A device Vof the class described, lincluding a spraying nozzle,means for encircling the nozzle with an annular screen or curtain of gasunder pressure, ,including under pressure, the bell adjustable flongil.

tudinal ofthe nozzle. n

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. i

ARTHUR MAUFERER.

SOV

mounted yon the nozzle and ,extending .atlfmo

